Top 20 US Campaign Songs

A couple of days ago, we elected our first woman president. Election campaigns here in Costa Rica are very colorful and intense; however, candidates hardly ever choose an official campaign song (as they do in the US). I really like it when candidates incorporate pop/rock/country music to their campaign because I think it livens things up and gets people in the right mindset for voting. Inspired by these thoughts, here is my Top 20 US Campaign Songs…

1. Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow (Bill Clinton, 1992)



2. Frank Sinatra - High Hopes (John F Kennedy, 1960)



3. Brooks & Dunn – Only in America (George W Bush, 2004)

4. Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA (Ronald Reagan, 1984)

5. Woody Guthrie – This Land is Your Land (George HW Bush, 1988)

6. Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours (Barack Obama, 2008)

7. Patsy Cline – Crazy (H. Ross Perot, 1992)


8. Abba – Take a Chance on Me (John McCain, 2008)


9. Celine Dion – You and I (Hilary Clinton, 2008)


10. Billy Ray Cyrus – We the People (George W Bush, 2000)


11. The Call – Let the Day Begin (Al Gore, 2004)


12. Bruce Springsteen – No Surrender (John Kerry, 2004)


13. Nixon Now (Richard Nixon, 1972)

14. Neil Diamond – America (Michael Dukakis, 1988)


15. U2 – City of Blinding Light (Barack Obama, 2008)

16. John Mellencamp – This is Our Country (John Edwards, 2008)

17. Paul Simon – Bridge Over Troubled Water (George McGovern, 1972)


18. Sam & Dave – Dole Man (Bob Dole, 1996)


19. Heart – Barracuda (John McCain, 2008 – This was used as Sarah Palin’s theme)


20. Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down (George W Bush, 2004; Tom Petty sued George Bush to stop the use of this song)


SPECIAL ENTRY:
EL Menos Mano es el Mejor (Luis Fishman, Costa Rica, 2010)